title: Problem solving styles among people who use alcohol and other drugs in South Africa.
abstract: The present study examines the relationship between problem-solving styles, socio-demographic variables and risk of alcohol and other drug (AOD)-related problems among a South African population. The Social Problem-Solving Inventory-Revised, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) were administered to a convenience sample of 1000 respondents. According to the ASSIST, 32% and 49% of respondents met criteria for moderate to high risk of alcohol use and illicit drug use respectively. After adjusting for the effects of other variables in the model, respondents who were of "Coloured" ancestry (PR=1.20, 95% CI 1.0-1.4), male (PR=1.19, 95% CI 1.04-1.37), older (PR=1.01, 95% CI 1.00-1.02), who adopted an avoidance style of coping with problems (PR=1.03, 95% CI 1.01-1.05) and who met criteria for depression (PR=1.42, 95% CI 1.12-1.79) were more likely to be classified as having risky AOD use. This suggests that interventions to improve problem solving and provide people with cognitive strategies to cope better with their problems may hold promise for reducing risky AOD use.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry & Mental Health, University of Cape Town, South Africa. Electronic address: Katherine.sorsdahl@uct.ac.za.
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sorsdahl
authors.forename: Dan J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Stein
authors.forename: Henri
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Carrara
authors.forename: Bronwyn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Myers
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D044466:Asian People / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D044383:Black People / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011340:Problem Solving; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Alcohol and drug use; Social problem solving styles; South Africa